Process of condensing or dissolving gases and vapors.



No. 820,813. PATENTED MAY 15, 1906. s. T. MUPFLY.

PROCESS OF CONDBNSING OR DISSOLVING GASES AND VAPURS. APPLIGATION FILED OUT. 6, 1905.

2 SHEETSSEEBT 1.

A'A V?! San 1121 9394 byw/aa w PATENTED MAY 15, 1906.

S. 'T. MUFPLY. PROCESS OF OONDENSING 0R DISSOLVING GASES AND VAPORS APPLICATION FILED OCT. 6, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET" 2.

' NiTEn STATES PATENT cl rion.

SIDNEI T. MUFFLY, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO PHILADELPHIA OYANIDE PROCESS COMPANY, OF W ILMINI-I'ITON,

DELAWARE, AND PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION I OF DELAWARE.

Paoci-zss OF CONDENSING on DISSOLVYING GASES AND vAPo'Rs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1906.

Application filed October 6,1905. Serialfl o 281,6 74..

' covering the hydrocyanic-acid gas given off during the operation of the c anid process for extracting precious metas from their described and claimed by me in an ores, and particularly in that specific process N a plication for United States Patent, dated August 14, 1905, Serial No. 274,119.

I further desire that the process shall be of such a nature that in addition to the above characteristics it shall be possible to recover by its use the recious metals driven off as dust or volatil ized during the roasting of com lex ores or in connection with various.

sme ting or refining processes, it being further desired to dissolve and precipitate base metals or their gaseous compounds as well as other gases generated during the operation of the cyanid process, so as to permit of" their,

recovery as by-products.

These objects I- attain as'hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in Which\ Figure 1 is an elevation, to some extent diagrammatic, of a combination of apparatus in which my process may be carried out certain detail'portions of said, apparatus being shown in section; and Fig.2 is an end elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, also illustrating in section further details of con- 'struction;

In carrying out my process I cause bodies 10f gas and vapor carrying relatively small amounts of preciousand base metals either as compounds or as almost infinitely small solid articles to be forced through a solution oi a ouble cyanid as, for example, potassium and bromid cyanid-which solution is exposed to, the above-mentioned gases, &c.",,

in the form of thin films. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, I wish it understooi'l in cyanid solutions used in my above-noted method of extracting precious metals from their ores I treat such solutions with ammoniumhydrate, and also preferably carry on the process within, an inclosed casing to which is constantly delivered a supply ol air under a pressure of from five to forty pounds above the atmosphere and at a suitable temperature, the supply of air being so arranged that it will exert a direct downward pressure upon the body of liquid within the casing, as well as exert direct pressure upon the films of the solution in which the gases are dissolved. I have found that by thus conducting the process at an air-pressure above atmospheric the chemical reactions occurring are materially hastened and otherwise aided, with the result that the time as well as the cost of operation are materially lessened.

Referring to the above drawings, A represents a chamber or a casing of suitable form having within it at some distaitiee above its bottom a false floor or hor zontal partition a of filtering material, above which are a series of vertically-extending partitions a, usually of wood, which are run to within a short distance of the top of the casing.

Slightly above the filter-bottom a there are in the partitions anumber of openings (1 to permit of the free passage of liquid from one end of the casing to the other. Intermediate of each pair ofpartitions and, like them, ex- I tending the full width of the chamber A are a pair of rollers a between which extends an endless apron of burlap or other relatively thatwhile'one of them is adjacent to the top of the casing the other is supported in suitable bearings at some oint below the predotermined level of the liquid in the casing.

The u per roller of each pair has fixed to its spindle a bevel ear a, and these beveled gears mesh with. other gears (1. ,.carr1ed upon a suitable shaft a, outside of the casing,

which is designed to be driven from a source .porous' fabric, the rollers being so arranged LJI I let 0 at the opposite end 0 shaped end I) opening below the level of the surface of the, liquid in the chamber, or from a pipe b in the top of said chamber. 'At the opposite end of the chamber from that 2 at which said said pipesb and b enter there is an outlet-pipe 0, connected to an inclosed box C, having a false bottom 0, of filtering material, above which are a series of baffles 0 designed to provide a tortuous passage from e c to an oute box, which outlet is provided with a suitablyactuated valve 0 whereby the air or gas under pressure within the box 0 is periodically allowed to escape.

A container D is provided for the solvent solution to be used in the ap 'aratus, and this is connected by means of a plpe d to that end of the chamber A adjacent to the gas-inlet pipes b and 5 There is' also provided a-oontamer E for the ammonium or other alkaline hydrate to be used.

A suitable drainipe a, is provided for the space containing h ltered liquid within the tank A, which is also provided with a single outlet-pipe a whereby throu h valved connections a the level of the iquid may be regulated. There is also, as shown in Fig. 2,

the point of entrance of the fpi t a series of valved outlets a", whereby liquidv and slime precipitates may be drawn off from the chamber at any'desired level for the purpose of testing, V

While in the operation of the process described and claimed in my above-mentioned application the air carrying the hydrocyanicacid gas is preierablyunder ressure, it may be desirable to provide an a ditional supply of air, and for this purpose I provide at the top of the chamber A a series ofpipes a, ex-

tendin across the 'same, having in their lower races slotted o enings and also provided with means-W ereby the air under pressure is. delivered at a uniformrate to all points of the chamber.

. Under operating conditions theshaft a causes the aprons a to continually enter and emer 'e from the solution within the chamber aprons/outside of the li uid carry a thin film that those portions of said of the solution. Said so ution,which is pref.- erably a double cyanid of potassium and bromin, is supplied from the tank B, while the ammonium hydrate or other desired alkaline hydrateissup lied from the tanks D and E,

fits respectively, t e strength of the cyanid solutassium cyanid to one part of blOlIllIl; cyan1d.-

If now gas, vapors, or dust, as above noted, be passed'into the chamber A through pipe I), it will be first passed into the body of the liqthrough the thin films'of liquid carried by the fabric'a ronsa as well as assed .over the Y surface of said liquid. Such treatment very effectively and'quickly causes the hydrocyanic-acid gas, as well as the metallic particles or compounds, to be dissolved in the cyanid solution, while the base-metal compounds,

formed at the same time,are at once precipitated as hydrates by the action of the alka-,

line hydrate delivered from the container E.

I have found that the. reactions taking place are favored and hastened by the direct 'downwardaction of the air under pressure upon the surface of the body of liquid, as Well as on the films of the same, and it will be seen that from time to time. said air passes out from the chamber A through the pipe 0 into the box C, thereby being passed in contact with the bafiie-plates c and caused to deuid in the chamber A and then forced to pass posit any liquid carried by itin the form of vapor.- It is finally permitted to periodically escape through the pipe 0 and valve 0.

The liquid so deposited in the box C passes.

through the filter-partition c and may be drawn off through the outlet pipe 0 In the operation of the process of extracting precious metals from their ores described and claimed in my application above re ferred to the double-cyanid solution after having been permitted to dissolve a certain amount of hydrocyanid-acid gas, &c., is delivered to the stamp-mortars and to the lixiviators for use in dissolvin additional amounts of precious metals, so t at it will be seen that the hydrocyanic-acid gas, which is always given off in the carrying out ofthe cyacrliid process, is saved and repeatedly reuse As solid material collects within the chamber A the liquid may be drawn off from time to time and thecovers a. removed to permit of the collection and removal of the recipitates or slimes, which may be treate in any desired manner to recover their valuable constituents.

If the. solution within the chamber A be c not usedforf the further treatment of bodies of ore, it may upon removal be treated electhrough a thin film or films of a' solvent so eeonis lution. carried upon a suitable supporting -.medium, and then removing the saturated sosame in a cyanid solution by passing them through a thin film or films of the solution, thereby obtaining them in form for further .use or recovery, substantially as described.

3. The process of recovering gases or material carried thereby in finely-divided or volatilized form, which. consists in dissolving the same in a double cyanidof potassium and bromin by passing them through a thin film or films of the same, thereby obtaining them in form for further use or recovery, substan tially as described.

4. The process of recovering gases or material carried thereby in finely-divided or vola tilized form, which consists in dissolving the same in a cyanid solution by passin them through constantly-renewed films t ereof, whereby said substances are obtained in a form for further use or recovery, substantially as described.

' 5. The process of recoverin gases or mate rial carried thereby in finely ivided or volatilized form, which consists in dissolving the same in a solution of double cyanid of potassium and bromin, whereb said substances are obtained in form for iurther use or recovery; substantially as described.

6. The process of recoverin gases or mate- -r1al carried thereby in finely- 1v1ded or volatilized form which consists in passing the same into a solvent solution, prec1p1tat1n the base metallic compounds formed, an

then passing said gases, &c., through a series of thin films of said solution, substantially as described.

7. The process of recovering gases and base or other metals carried thereby in finelydivided or volatilized form, which consists in dissolvin the same in a solution of a double cyanid o potassium. and bromin by passing t was through a series of thin films of such solution, and precipitating by means of an alkaline hydrate the base metallic compounds formed in said solution, said substances being thereby secured in form for further use or recovery, substantially as described.

8. The process of recovering gases or 1naterial carried thereby in a finely-dividedor volatilized form which consists in passing the same through a solvent solution exposed to air acting upon its surface and under a pressure greater-than that of the atmosphere,

said substances bein capable of reacting with the oxygen of 5X6 atmosphere in the presence of said solution, substantially as described. j

9. The process of recoverin gases or material carried therebylin finely- 'vided or volatilized form whic consists in passing the same through a series of relatively thin films of a solvent solution exposed to the action of air under a pressure above that ofthe atmosphere, substantially as described;

10. The process of recoveringlgases or material carried thereby in finelyvided or volatilized form, which-consists in diss'olvin the same'in a solution of a double cyanid 0' potassium and bromin by passing the said substances through thin films of said solution while it is exposed to the direct action of air and gas under pressure, the gases or material carried thereby being thus secured in form. for further use or recovery, substantially as described. A

1 1. The process of recoverin gases or material carried thereby in finelyivided or volatilized form which consists in first passing said gases,&c., through a series of thin films of a solvent solution and in then removing the aqueous and other vaipor still carried by the gas, substantiall as escribed.

12. The process 0 recoverin 'gases'or material carried thereby in a volatiTized orfinel divided form, which consists in exposing t e same under pressure to a body of solvent so lution'and then passing them, mixed with air under pressure reater than that of the atmosphere, throng a series of thin films of said solution, substantially as described.

13. The process of recovering gases and base orother metallic elements carried thereby in volatilized or finelydivided form, which consists in ex .osing the same under pressure to a body o a double cyanid of po tassium and bromin and dissolving them in said solution by assin them through a series ofthin films t ereoi while mixed with air under pressure greater than that of the atmosphere', and precipitating by an alkaline compound solution containing ammonium hydrate, the base metallic compounds formed in saidsolution, whereby the gases and substances .carried therebyare secured in form for further use or recovery, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I havesigned-my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' SIDNEY T. MUFFLY.

- Witnesses:

WALTER CHIsM,

Jos. H. KLEIN. 

